


Our Secret

by Syrum



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: ...Kinda, Acceptance, Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Fairy Tale Curses, I have no excuses, I just really wanted mer-Yuuri, Little Mermaid Elements, M/M, Merpeople, Phichit is an awesome friend, Some Fluff, Transformation, Victor is best boyfriend, Yuuri as a mer-person, it's a genetic thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-20
Updated: 2016-11-20
Packaged: 2018-09-01 04:13:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8607019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Syrum/pseuds/Syrum
Summary: Yuuri has a secret, one he has sworn never to tell.Until Victor.  Until one afternoon, stuck in Russia in a slightly chilly hotel room.Now, everything rests on Victor's reaction, and Yuuri knows he isn't ready for this.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I have been playing with this idea for way too long, and it morphed into something else, like all my ideas seem to. There's decidedly less _swimming_ than I had originally planned!!

_ “Mama, will you tell me a story?”  Yuuri’s tiny hands pulled on her sleeves, and she settled herself at his bedside with a fond smile.  He still seemed so tiny in the too-large bed, barely making a dent in the mattress.  He seemed so fragile as she gently plucked his glasses from his face, folding the arms flat against the lenses and leaving them within reach should her son need them in the night. _

_ “Alright Yuuchan, which story would you like tonight?”  Hiroko tugged the covers up under Yuuri’s chin as he snuggled down in bed, his stuffed poodle tucked snugly under his chin, and not for the first time she wondered about getting him a real dog.  It would certainly help, knowing that he had a companion to watch out for him, to protect him.  Maybe then she wouldn’t have to worry quite so much. _

_ “Can I have  _ **_that_ ** _ story?”  He asked without hesitation, and Hiroko’s smile widened.  “The one we don’t tell anyone else?”  Yuuri was a good boy, she thought, combing fingers through his hair as he tried to unsuccessfully stifle a yawn.  He had grasped the importance of it from the first time she had recounted the tale, and had told no one. _

_ “Are you sure you’re not too tired for that story?”  She teased, earning a pout even as Yuuri tried not to yawn a second time. _

_ “Of course not!  I’m a big boy now, I can stay awake through the whole story, until at least after seven.”  Yuuri was entirely too adorable, and she poked his nose until he giggled at her, losing the mock-frown. _

_ “Alright, we can have that story then.”  Hiroko finally agreed, earning a beaming smile from her son, his eyes sparkling with a tired sort of excitement.  “Once upon a time, many  _ **_many_ ** _ years ago, your great great grandfather - my great grandfather - fell in love with a beautiful woman.” _

_ “But she wasn’t just any woman, was she Mama?”  Yuuri interrupted, fidgeting slightly under the covers. _

_ “No, that she wasn’t.”  She agreed with a low chuckle.  “You see, your great great grandfather was a fisherman.  He was a proud man, who worked hard for his ailing parents, but he was also very sad.  He had no wife to love, and no children to carry his name, yet the women of the village held no attraction for him and he found that he felt nothing for any of them.  He wanted desperately to get married before his mother and father passed away, so that they might see him happy and pass on without worry.” _

_ “Mama, will I have to get married one day?”  There was a serious to her little boy that almost broke Hiroko’s heart, and she brushed his hair from his eyes, leaning in so that he could see her properly without his glasses. _

_ “Only if you want to Yuuchan, and only once you meet someone you love more than anyone else.” _

_ “But won’t you be sad, if I don’t have a beautiful wife?  Like great great grandfather’s mama was?”  He was biting on his lower lip, looking far too conflicted for a child his age, and Hiroko was touched by how thoughtful he had already become. _

_ “Not at all; things were different back then.  I’ll be happy as long as you’re happy, my Yuuchan.” _

_ “Okay Mama,”  Yuuri finally conceded, seemingly appeased by her explanation.  “Can we carry on with the story now?” _

_ “Of course.  So your great great grandfather would go out to sea every day, casting his nets to catch enough fish to feed his mama and papa, and all his brothers and sisters, and even more to sell at the market so he could buy rice and clothes for everyone.  It was hard work, but he enjoyed it, and he was the best fisherman in the whole town.” _

_ “Wow, everyone must’ve really looked up to him.” _

_ “They sure did.  Now one day he was out fishing as normal, when a terrible shark appeared!  It was huge, the biggest ever, and it grabbed hold of his nets, pulling his little boat along.  His catch was gone, and the oars flew out of the boat so he couldn’t row away.”  Yuuri hid his face behind his stuffed dog, peeking out over one ear after a moment.  “Your great great grandfather knew he was in trouble - this shark was going to eat him up for dinner, and his poor family were going to go hungry. _

_ “Suddenly, without warning, the shark let go of the net.  Your great great grandfather looked down into the water to see where it had gone and saw the shark fighting with something under the water.  It looked like a dolphin, but after a while he could make out arms and a human face!  It was a person!” _

_ “A mer-person.”  Yuuri piped up, his stuffed toy now half way down the bed where it had been thrown in his excitement. _

_ “That’s right!  They fought for a long time, back and forth, but eventually the shark swam off, defeated, and the person swam up to the boat to peer over the side.” _

_ “What did she look like?”  The excitement in his eyes was genuine, and had she not been the one to tell him this tale each time, Hiroko might have believed it to be the first time he had heard it. _

_ “She had beautiful long hair the colour of the ocean at night, and eyes that sparkled like a thousand stars.  Her arms were long and slender with webbing between her fingers, and where her legs should have been he could see a long tail a shade lighter than the colour of her hair.  She had gills at her neck, yet breathed the air also, and her ears were pointed at the tips.  Your great great grandfather fell instantly in love with her, knowing he could never love another as he loved her, and yet he didn’t even know her name!” _

_ “Did he ask?” _

_ “He said, ‘beautiful lady, you have saved my life from that dread shark, please will you do me the honour of sharing with me your name?’”  Hiroko earned a high-pitched giggle at that, as she deepened her voice, Yuuri now clutching at the sleeves of her yukata.  “Yes, that’s exactly what she did too - she laughed at his silliness!  ‘I am Nora’ the mermaid answered, and she held onto side of the boat for the waves were growing large around them, yet she did not seem worried.  ‘I have watched you for some time, fisherman, and I find that I am in love with you.  Please, come with me to my world, so that we may be together.’”  If only it were so simple in reality, Hiroko thought, though she found she was no less enamoured by children’s stories than her son. _

_ “And they got married?” _

_ “Not yet, they didn’t.  You see, your great great grandfather still had his family to think of - his parents were sick, and his siblings were not as skilled as he, so he had to put them first, even over the love of this woman.  The mermaid pushed his boat safely back to shore, smiling sadly the whole way, and even replenished his lost catch for him so that he would not go hungry. _

_ “The mermaid swam away, her heart breaking as she had to leave the man she had grown so very fond of.  In her grief, she did not watch where she was going, and found that she was too close to the shore!” _

_ “Oh no!  What happened to her?”  Yuuri was hiding behind her sleeve, and Hiroko chuckled at her son, letting him pull at her arm. _

_ “There was a man there, watching her, and as he beckoned to her she found she had no choice but to swim to him.  He smiled at her, and she knew he was not kind.  ‘I can give you everything you could ever desire.’  He said, and she saw truth in his words.  ‘I can make you human for a time, so that you may be with the one who you love, and bare his child.’” _

_ “‘What would you ask for in return?’  Nora wondered, and the man smiled cruelly.  ‘Only that you let me visit your child once they are born, to wish them well and give them a gift.’  It seemed innocent enough, and Nora agreed, taking the magic potion that he gave her. _

_ “The next day, your great great grandfather was overjoyed to find the mermaid at his door, standing upon her own two feet.  They married soon after, and nine months later Nora gave birth to their child - a baby girl.  Sure enough, some days later, the man who had given her the potion arrived to bless the child, though he was disguised as a travelling monk and was not recognised.  They let him into their house, gave him food to eat and water to drink, and he thanked them. _

_ “‘You have been most kind to me, please allow me to do something for you.’  He said, picking up the child and cradling her in his arms.  ‘This child will be the start of it; a girl of two worlds who belongs in neither, fish and human.’  As he spoke, the child began to wail, growing fins and he placed her down as she thrashed in his arms.  Horrified, your great-great grandfather lashed out at the man, who revealed his true face at last, before vanishing as though he had never been there.  Nora fell to the floor, her own legs turning back into the tail she had cast off.” _

_ “What happened next?” _

_ “Nora and her child returned to the sea, living as close to the land as they dared, and your great great grandfather went out in his boat every single day to see them.  His daughter grew day by day, into a young girl and then into a beautiful woman, like her mother.  She learned to throw away her tail, to walk on land for a time, but always she had to return back to the seas.” _

_ “And that’s why we live here.”  Yuuri piped in, far too awake still for how late it had gotten.  “To be near the sea.” _

_ “That’s exactly right, Yuuchan.  Now, we’re going swimming in the morning, so you need to get some sleep, else you’ll be drifting off in the water.”  He yawned, nodded, and reached for his stuffed dog.  Hiroko pushed the small stuffed animal into his chubby arms before pressing a kiss to his forehead and turning out the light. _

_ “Night, mama.” _

_ “Goodnight, Yuuchan.  Sweet dreams.” _

* * *

Yuuri yawned and stretched; he hadn’t slept overly well last night, Victor a constant weight on his chest, and he wondered if the man had been plagued with dreams with how he fidgeted in his sleep.  It was still early, and he would have done anything to be back in that bed, curled around Victor’s solid form.  He couldn’t though; his legs itched terribly.  He had not been able to swim for a while now, with the constant training and competitions leaving him too exhausted to get up early enough.

The water was icy cold against his toes, yet Yuuri hardly felt it, the bitter chill of salt air whipping across his bare skin as he stepped out into the water.  He had hidden his clothes in the same cluster of rocks that his family had used for as long as he could remember - his mother and sister, and his grandfather before then.  The itch intensified, and glancing down Yuuri could see the starts of discolouration as his legs darkened, the skin there growing thicker as they started to change.

He had left it a little too close this time, it seemed, if simple contact with the ocean was enough to start the process.

Diving forwards, he was engulfed by the foaming spray, the salt water a balm to his skin as his legs fused and changed, a small dorsal fin protruding from his lower back as the webbing grew between his fingers.  His ears elongated, teeth sharpened, and he no longer needed to surface to breathe as gills formed either side of his neck.

Yuuri felt, for the first time in a very long time, truly alive.  Beneath the waves, his eyes could see again, making out every tiny detail in the slightly murky waters, the detail so intense compared to his vision on land that his glasses seemed like a poor substitute.  He laughed to himself as he kicked through the water, the large tail fin where his feet had once been powering him through the water and away from the dangers of land.  He knew better than to hang around where other humans might spot him, remaining close to the seabed where men dared not venture.

Victor would likely be mad at him when he returned, for skipping out on practice, and for leaving without saying anything.  Still, this was something that he needed to do, unless he wanted to accidentally change in the hot springs or - worse - out on the ice.  He was skirting danger, he knew, leaving it so long between changes and he would pay for it each time it happened - Yuuri likely would not be able to shift back into his human form until well into the night, once his body had spent enough time within the confines of the vast ocean before him, which meant missing  _ dinner _ .

A flash of something bright caught his eye, and Yuuri twirled in the water to get a better look at it; a shell, nothing special, but it was pretty at least and it seemed to sparkle in the low light.  A cursory glance inside indicated that nothing was living there for the moment, and Yuuri dropped it into the little pouch he carried with him as he swam, intending to take it back home with him.

Perhaps Victor might shout at him a little  _ less _ if he gave him a gift.

 

* * *

 

“Yuuri?”  The hotel room door clicked shut behind Victor, and Yuuri glanced up with a low ‘hm?’, book falling forgotten to the bed beside him.  “We may have a problem.”  Victor’s brows had knitted together in a look of concern, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned back against the closed door.

“What do you mean?”  Unfolding his legs from under him on the large double bed they had shared for the past two weeks, Yuuri ignored how they itched at him as he stood, protesting at the unwanted use.

“The storm’s getting worse, our flights have been cancelled.”  

“For how long?”  It wasn’t ideal, but he was certain he could last a few more days in Russia.  It had been an amazing trip, and his skating had been better than he could ever have hoped, but Yuuri was ready to go home now.  He missed his parents, missed the hot springs, and he desperately needed to shed his legs for a day or so in the cool waters of the nearby ocean.

“Until it passes.  They’re estimating another week, at least.”  Yuuri swallowed down the lump of nervous panic that had gathered in his throat, sitting back on the bed as his legs refused to hold him.   _ A week _ .  He wouldn’t last that long without changing.  They had already been delayed once; he wasn’t sure how long he had left, a couple of days at most.

It had only ever happened once before, that he could remember at least; Yuuri had been going through something of a rebellious phase, had skipped swimming for too many weeks and ignored the growing discomfort.  The change had torn through him at the time, waking him from his slumber as he cried out in agony, limbs contorting unnaturally until he was left panting and shaking upon his futon.  His mother had been by his side at the time, stroking back sweat-slicked hair until he returned to his senses once more.

Somehow, they had managed to manhandle him into the seldom-used bath, keeping the water cool and adding enough salt for the itching to stop, but it had taken several days before he was able to change back again.

Yuuri hadn’t skipped out on swimming again since.

“Yuuri?”  A firm hand on his shoulder, and he flinched back from the touch.  “Are you alright?”  Victor was leaning over him, a look of concern plastered over his face that seemed so genuine that Yuuri thought he might cry.

“That’s a long time.”  He said, instead, taking hold of the hand as something akin to a peace offering and letting Victor sit beside him on the bed.  Yuuri considered where they were, tried to work out where the nearest coastline might be, how close they were to saltwater.  That idea was quashed as soon as he glanced out the window; the snow was coming down fast, thick enough that he could barely see a few feet, and it was well below freezing outside.  Even if he  _ could _ make it to the ocean, he would not survive Russia’s frigid temperatures, he would freeze to death long before the transformation was through and he could return to land.  Not to mention, he had no idea about the mer population in the surrounding area, whether they would be friendly or kill him on sight.

Mer might have been rare, but they were  _ there _ , and Yuuri had suffered a handful of run-ins with them already at home.  They knew him there, and they kept their distance, which was how he liked it.  Detroit had been... _ somewhat different _ , but he had managed.

“I’ve extended our reservation here for us, and ordered dinner for tonight.  It will be  _ fine _ , Yuuri.  I’m here with you, remember?”  Victor, dear sweet Victor, he was trying so hard to be supportive about something he could never hope to understand.  How could he?  To the Russian skater, Yuuri’s kind were little more than a myth, and he wanted it to remain that way for the moment.  Yuuri nodded dumbly, leaning into Victor’s side and squeezing his hand to indicate that he understood.  It wasn’t enough, it wasn’t anywhere  _ near _ enough, but it touched his heart all the same that Victor was  _ trying _ .

The flutter of panic returned, and Yuuri closed his eyes tightly against it.  Victor was going to find out, he would  _ know _ , and then how would he look at Yuuri?  How would he act, when he found out that his student and perhaps lover was something  _ other _ than human?  Would he be disgusted?  Probably; it wasn’t exactly normal, to start up a relationship with a  _ fish _ .

“Yuuri, tell me what you need.”  He was on the cusp of a full-blown panic attack, Victor’s words piercing through the haze of his mind.  Yuuri knew he needed to calm down, else he was only going to make matters worse, hurrying the horrifying change along even faster than it would otherwise have been.

“Phichit.”  Yuuri managed to gasp out, his mind focusing on his closest friend and the only person outside of his family who knew his terrible secret.  “Is he still here, in Russia?”

“I’ll find out.”  To his credit, Victor did not move from Yuuri’s side, wrapping an arm tightly around his shoulders to hold him close while he searched through the contacts in Yuuri’s phone.  “You don’t mind?”  He asked, thumb hovering over the ‘call’ button next to Phichit’s name in the contacts list.  Yuuri shook his head, ‘no’, and Victor hit dial.

The phone rang three times before it was answered, Phichit’s ever-cheery voice connecting on the other end of the line, though it quickly shifted to concern when Victor made it known that Yuuri was not in fact able to talk right now, but could he come over as quickly as possible.

Victor disconnected the call, the room remained silent.  The blanket of snow outside deadened any sounds that might have travelled in, and Victor wondered on what, exactly, was going on.  Yuuri was trembling slightly in his embrace, but he hadn’t pushed him away yet, one hand fisted in the blankets while the other pressed creases into the front of his shirt.

“Victor.”  He wasn’t certain how much time had passed, lost to his own thoughts, dragged from them by the quiet shake of Yuuri’s voice.  “You know I love you, right?”   _ That _ had his attention - they hadn’t spoken of love, of feelings, this thing between them too new and fragile to apply a name to it just yet.  That Yuuri felt the need to express it now was entirely terrifying; what was Yuuri hiding from him that he had to profess his love in a hotel room, in Russia, while clearly panicking over something unsaid?  Had he done something, had something happened?  Was he hurt?

What could he possibly need to get home to so urgently, that would make him utter those words?

Victor’s imagination was a terrible place, and he had about convinced himself that Yuuri was dying of some horrible disease that only the hot springs could cure by the time the knock came at the door.

Phichit’s usual smile was absent, though he spared a nod for Victor, dumping a bag of - was that  _ salt _ \- by the door as he entered, immediately moving to Yuuri’s side and dragging the panicking skater into a bone-crushing hug.

“It’s bad?”  Victor barely heard the Thai skater over the click of the door as he shut and locked it, trying to ignore the bubbling jealousy at the sight of Yuuri’s hands grabbing hold of the back of Phichit’s snow-drenched coat and holding him close.

“I need to calm down, otherwise-”  There was a hiss of pain and Phichit jumped back, swearing in his native tongue as he realised that the wet from his coat had dripped down onto Yuuri’s denim-clad legs, soaking through the fabric and seeming to burn where it touched.

“Yuuri, I don’t think calming down is going to help this time.”  The coat was abandoned on the floor, the carpet darkening slightly as the last remaining hints of snow melted into it.  Phichit shot a glance over his shoulder at Victor, expression unreadable, before turning his attention back to Yuuri.  “Does he know?”

“No, not yet.  I didn’t want-”  There were tears gathering in Yuuri’s eyes, dripping from dark lashes, and Victor wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around his lover and hold him until he could chase the demons away.  “Not like this.”

“I don’t think you have much of a choice, now.”

“I know.”  He sounded so fragile, so  _ broken _ , and Victor’s heart stopped in his chest.  This - whatever it was - it was  _ bad _ .  Was he going to lose Yuuri, when he had only just managed to find him?  Phichit turned to him, eyes narrowed, a look of firm determination on his face.

“Victor, I need you to run a bath, make it a cold one, and add half of that salt there to it.”  He wasn’t used to seeing this side of Phichit, the side that was obviously worried for his best friend, who could command armies with that tone.  He did not question the order, doing as he was told and hoping,  _ hoping _ that Yuuri was going to be alright.

The bath was only half full when a cry from the bedroom brought Victor running.  He stopped in his tracks at the sight that greeted him; Yuuri scrabbling at his own clothes, trying to get them  _ off _ , with a look of such  _ pain _ on his beautiful features that Victor was certain his heart had been torn in two at the sight of it.

Phichit was trying his best to help, though it was somewhat difficult with how Yuuri was writhing on the bed, panic and pain removing his ability to think.  The coverlet slipped, and Yuuri went with it, crashing to the floor.  Victor was by his side in a heartbeat, pulling him up and holding him still so that Phichit could strip off first his jumper, then the jeans and underwear, leaving him entirely nude and pressed against Victor’s chest.  Yuuri’s arms had slid up to wrap tightly around his neck, and he was outwardly sobbing against Victor’s shoulder, pained tremors running through him.

It was then that Victor got his first glance at Yuuri’s legs; they were black.  Not the black of dirt, or any natural human pigmentation, but a solid and unending black as though they had been dipped in oil.  As he watched, the last patch of pale skin on one ankle vanished under the expanding darkness.

Phichit caught his attention, and there must have been something akin to horror in his expression as the younger man shook his head, indicating that he should remain silent.  It seemed almost bizarre, how Phichit had remained so calm throughout the entire thing.

_ Because he’s seen it before _ , Victor realised, pulling Yuuri closer with a possessiveness that he knew he needed to temper.  Yuuri’s arms were like a vice around his neck, his shoulders, holding on as though Victor was his final lifeline.  Just when he thought the worst had passed, when he thought himself about ready to ask  _ what was going on _ , Yuuri went rigid.  Back curved tighter than a bow, head tossed back, he  _ screamed _ , the sound almost otherworldly and Victor worried for a moment that others might hear and come running.

“Yuuri!”  Phichit’s hands were on his shoulders, in his hair, but Yuuri’s eyes could not see and his ears could not hear, the pain near-maddening.  “Yuuri, you have to stop fighting it, you need to let it happen.”  It wasn’t working, and Phichit looked slightly desperate when he locked eyes with Victor.  “You need to talk to him, he’ll listen to you.”

“What should I say?”  Victor felt lost, control slipping away as he clung to Yuuri just as tightly as Yuuri held onto him.  For the first time, he felt genuinely  _ frightened _ .

“Anything!  Tell him you’re here, you’ve got him, that he doesn’t have to fight any more because you’re not leaving.”  And Victor did just that, pulling Yuuri to him again and murmuring into his ear, not even certain what he was saying any more.  Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, Yuuri’s body grew less rigid in his arms, softening and seeming to grow heavy.  Too heavy, and he carefully lowered the two of them to the carpeted floor.  Victor’s hand had come to rest at the base of his spine, and he could feel something pushing against it, curving up and away from Yuuri’s body.

_ A dorsal fin _ he realised belatedly, staring down at the black mass that arced elegantly up from Yuuri’s spine.  It flowed down into a thick tail, replacing what had once been slender legs, and Victor could not help but follow the line with his hand.  It felt smooth beneath his touch, and perhaps a little too dry.  The contrast between the thick skin that covered the tail and the softness of that covering Yuuri’s shoulders beneath Victor’s other hand, was a stark one.  It tapered gently down to what would have been Yuuri’s ankles, before flaring out into a wide set of flukes tipped in a lighter grey.

“He was so afraid of you finding out.”  Phichit had leaned himself back against the bed, and was watching Victor closely, ready to intervene if necessary.  “How do you tell the man you love that you’re not  _ quite _ the same as everyone else?”

“You knew, though.”  It felt like an accusation, even though it had not been meant as one, and not for the first time Victor found himself wondering at the relationship the two had once shared.  It was ridiculous, he knew, and he pushed the thought away so he could better deal with it later.

“I found out by accident.  There weren’t very many places for him to swim in Detroit, after all.”  Phichit shrugged, thinking back to the times they had spent together there.  He had followed one evening, curiosity getting the better of him, hadn’t expected Yuuri to forgive his betrayal of trust after that.  And yet, he had, so easily.  “I’m the only one who knew though.  Well, until now.”  He chuckled, and there was warmth there that Victor hadn’t known he had so sorely missed.  “I’m actually surprised you didn’t freak out.”

“I suppose I did, a bit.”  Victor admitted, carding his fingers through the damp tresses atop Yuuri’s head.  “For a moment, I thought he was dying, and that terrifies me more than anything.  I thought I was going to lose him.”

“It doesn’t bother you?”

“It’s unexpected, I’ll admit, and I have a lot of questions that I’m going to want answers to.  But, nothing’s really changed.  He’s still my Yuuri, I don’t love him any less for knowing this.”  And it was true; he loved this man, more than he had ever loved anyone.  He was just as breathtakingly beautiful on the ice as he was off it, with legs or without them.

“ _ Your _ Yuuri?”  Phichit asked, a cheeky grin spreading across his face and Victor fought to suppress the flush that coloured his cheeks at the unexpected slip.  He wasn’t usually so easily embarrassed, yet the whole situation was surprisingly  _ intimate _ .

“Yes,  _ my _ Yuuri.”  He confirmed, tugging his lover closer.  “And I don’t intend to  _ share _ either.”  To anyone else, it might have been perceived as a badly veiled threat, yet Phichit took it as it had been intended; Victor was not about to tell anyone about this any time soon, Yuuri’s secret was safe.

* * *

“Yuuri.”  Heavy-lidded eyes, dark with sleep, blinked up at the slightly blurry face inches from his own.

“Victor?”  He was pleasantly cool, water lapping around his body, and gentle fingers were tracing over his cheekbone and up to the sensitive tip of his ear.  Yuuri’s eyes widened in realisation at what must have happened, at what he must look like to Victor now.  Yet, before he could react, before he could panic, warm lips had pressed against his own, stealing away the last of his coherent thoughts.

When they finally broke apart, breathing heavily, he could make out the flush that had coloured Victor’s cheeks, the blissful smile that curved into his lips.  “I love you too, my Yuuri.”

* * *

“Victor, hurry up!”  Yuuri was already half way down the tiny, secluded beach, the late summer sunshine reflecting off his hair as he laughed at his boyfriend.  “I don’t want you getting caught up in the tide if it changes, I’m not rescuing you  _ again _ .”  He had already stripped down, sun-kissed skin shimmering as he seemed to dance towards the water.

If Victor hadn’t already been so deeply in love with the man, that sight alone would have been enough.

“So impatient, love.”  He laughed after the younger man, stripping off his own clothes, remaining in nothing more than a pair of tight swimming trunks.  Euphoria taking over, he raced down to meet Yuuri in the shallows, stealing his mouth in a hungry kiss as they toppled into the clear blue water together.

**Author's Note:**

> I have a tumblr, hit me up there;
> 
> syrum.tumblr.com


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